30 Minute Cajun-Spiced Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

About this recipe

Bold Cajun spices meet fresh, crisp lettuce in these easy shrimp lettuce wraps. Ready in just 30 minutes, they make the perfect quick lunch or dinner packed with flavor.

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I’m absolutely hooked on these Cajun Shrimp Lettuce Wraps! I love the heat from the Cajun spice, and the lettuce wraps make for a different and unique way to enjoy tacos!

Lettuce wraps are lots of fun for me! Of course I love traditional tacos with a soft flour tortilla, such as when I enjoy my DIY Taco Casserole recipe or with Instant Pot Birria Tacos. What can I say, I’m a huge bread lover! I don’t think I’ve gone a day without eating some kind of bread, actually! Thought experiment for me now…

But back on topic! Lettuce wraps are just so nice and refreshing on a hot summer’s day. At the time of updating this recipe, we’re in mid-April, and in Canada that means winter just needs to bite the bullet to allow spring to come! I’ve noticed that April showers do not necessarily bring May flowers since oftentimes there’s still snow up here! With that, another thing I love about lettuce wraps is that they’re messy too, and the mess is my favourite part of eating traditional tacos, so I don’t miss out! It’s just a different kind of mess, haha!

Cajun shrimp lettuce wrap components: cooked spiced shrimp with peppers in a bowl, crisp lettuce leaves, and white dipping sauce.

I was inspired to make some easy shrimp wraps based on JOEY Restaurant’s Asian shrimp lettuce wraps. That’s one of my favourite appetizers! As I mention in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!, going out to eat can inspire you to try new creations in the kitchen! The shrimp lettuce wraps from the restaurant are Asian-style, so I wanted to add a different flair to my shrimp lettuce wraps. If you’ve followed the blog for awhile, then you know that I love heat in my food. So I found Cajun spice was a simple yet effective way to season the shrimp!

Cajun spice blend being measured with a spoon over a white bowl

I’m really excited to be sharing this recipe with you! These Cajun shrimp lettuce wraps are light and so easy to make, and you can easily prepare enough to easily feed a crowd! These Southern Cajun shrimp lettuce wraps are keto-friendly, being low carb and high in protein. Additionally, these shrimp lettuce wraps with Cajun seasoning are simple to make too! You’ll soon see that the most involved part of this seafood lettuce wrap recipe is honestly just preparing your toppings! The shrimp cook so fast, which is one of my favourite parts of this recipe! However, if shrimp has been a pesky protein for you, then don’t worry about it, as I’ll show you how to perfectly cook juicy and tender shrimp. You can prepare these amazing shrimp lettuce wraps as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge, where you can get started for free right now by signing up to my email newsletter, plus you’ll get all of my latest recipes delivered right to your inbox!

Cajun shrimp lettuce wraps ingredients and components: seasoned shrimp, butter lettuce, corn, avocado, dipping sauce, and salsa.

Dietary Considerations for Southern Cajun Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

These Cajun Shrimp Lettuce Wraps are…

Gluten-free
High in protein
Keto-friendly
Low carb
Low calorie
Full of heart-healthy fats

Cajun shrimp lettuce wraps ingredients: butter lettuce leaves, spiced shrimp, avocado, corn, and white dipping sauce.

Tools Needed to Make Cajun Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Cajun shrimp lettuce wrap ingredients displayed: avocado slices, corn, diced tomato salsa, and crispy waffle fries in bowls.

Ingredients for Pan-Seared Cajun Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

You may already have these ingredients in your kitchen, so this recipe is sure to be a breeze! For all ingredients and their quantities and to save the recipe for later, scroll to the bottom of this post or press the “Jump to Recipe” button to see the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD. You will also be able to scale the recipe based on how many lettuce wraps you want to make so that you have the right amount of shrimp and marinade!

Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients for Cajun shrimp lettuce wraps: lettuce, shrimp, bell peppers, avocado, corn, pico de gallo, lemon, and spices.

Shrimp: I’ve used large Argentinian shrimp. If you’ve got pre-peeled shrimp, then that will save you some time!
Red and green bell peppers: Sliced thinly.
Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Garlic: Minced garlic cloves.
Cajun seasoning: The main flavour for the marinade! I’m using my homemade Cajun seasoning recipe.
Olive oil: A little bit for cooking and for the shrimp marinade.
Iceberg lettuce: To make our lettuce cups to hold in the shrimp and the toppings.

For the Cajun Seasoning

Tips for Cajun-Spiced Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Marinate Longer: If you have time, marinate the shrimp for 30 minutes to 1 hour in the fridge for deeper flavour.Pre-mix Seasoning: Keep a small jar of your Cajun seasoning ready—it stores well for months and saves you a step later.Pat Dry: Make sure the lettuce is completely dry to avoid sogginess and better hold the fillings.Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: Cook in batches if needed to get a nice sear and avoid steaming the shrimp.For meal prepping for work/school, store the lettuce wraps like this:

Shrimp + Peppers in one container
Lettuce stored dry in a container lined with a paper towel
Sour cream, corn, pico de gallo, avocado in separate small containers or a bento-style box

Shrimp is great cold, but if you prefer it warm, microwave just the shrimp/peppers for 30-40 seconds before adding to lettuce.

If lettuce wraps are too delicate for your use case, convert this recipe into a bowl by substituting the lettuce cups with rice, or quinoa.

How to Make Cajun Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

For the Marinade

If your shrimp are frozen, defrost your shrimp by adding them to a large bowl, and filling the bowl with cold water.

It will take about 15 minutes for the shrimp to defrost. Then, drain the water from the shrimp. If you need to peel and de-vein your shrimp, go ahead and do this.

As the shrimp defrosts, cut your peppers into strips.

In a mixing bowl, add the shrimp, followed by the red and green peppers.

Defrosted shrimp pieces in a clear glass mixing bowl ready for seasoning.

Raw shrimp and sliced red and green peppers in a glass bowl ready to marinate.

Add 1-2 tsp olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, and season with Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.

Raw shrimp and red and green peppers marinating in a glass bowl with oil and seasonings.

Mix well. Then, let the shrimp and peppers marinate for at least 5-10 minutes.

Shrimp and diced peppers marinating in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and Cajun seasoning in a glass bowl.

Cajun-seasoned shrimp and bell peppers marinating in a glass bowl with olive oil and lemon juice.

To Cook the Shrimp and Peppers

Heat a grill pan on medium to medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the shrimp and the peppers. Cook the shrimp for about 1 1/2 minutes on the first side to get a slight char.

Cajun-spiced shrimp and red peppers sizzling in a dark grill pan, partially cooked with a golden char.

Cook the shrimp for about a minute to a minute and a half on one side to get a char.

Cajun-spiced shrimp and red bell peppers searing in a grill pan over medium heat.

Flip, and cook for another minute or so until the shrimp are fully cooked.

Flip, and cook other side for another minute or so until the shrimp are fully cooked. Set the shrimp and peppers aside in a bowl until ready to serve.

Cajun-spiced shrimp and red and green bell peppers cooking together in a skillet.

Serving Suggestions for Cajun Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Now this is the fun part! Lettuce wraps are lots of fun to me because you get to build your own wrap at the dinner table! Prep your lettuce and toppings and get ready to serve yourself!

In this recipe, I’ll be using some iceberg lettuce for my lettuce wraps, but I’ve also used Boston leaf lettuce in the past, so any kind of lettuce will work!

To get the lettuce into these taco shaped cups, slice a lettuce head in half. Remove the root of the lettuce and then cut each half of the head into two down the middle. The trick is to cut perpendicular to the layers. Do not cut in the same direction as the layers of the lettuce.

Hand holding a single iceberg lettuce cup shaped for wrapping, showing the translucent leaf texture.

Here are the toppings I’m going to be serving with these lettuce wraps:

Corn
Sour cream
Avocado slices
Authentic Pico De Gallo

Ramekin with layered shrimp lettuce wrap ingredients including onions, greens, and red peppers held in hand.

I recommend putting everything in ramekins and having your lettuce wraps on the side, as I show here!

Hand holding a Cajun shrimp lettuce wrap topped with pico de gallo, avocado, and okra on a white plate.

That’s it! Feel free to get creative and experiment with other toppings. Here are some additional ideas for you to get creative:

Serve hot and enjoy!

Cajun-spiced shrimp with peppers in a white bowl, served with lettuce wraps and tomatillo salsa verde.

Some FAQs

What if I want to cook this on a barbecue?▼

I wish I had a barbecue, but my current residence does not allow it! That would be amazing! If you do have one and want to get outside and barbecue, then I recommend cutting your peppers into chunks instead of strips for obvious reasons. Also, for tips to cook the shrimp on the barbecue, I would refer to my friend Google.

Can I use another type of lettuce instead of iceberg lettuce?▼

I’ve done this with iceberg lettuce and Boston leaf lettuce. At the end of the day, we want to make lettuce cups, anything that looks like cups or can be cut into cups works. You could even use Romaine Lettuce to make these wraps.

Cajun-spiced shrimp in a white bowl with corn, sliced avocado, pico de gallo, and a sour cream dip on the side.

Are Pan-Seared shrimp lettuce wraps healthy?▼

Oh yes they definitely are! These lettuce wraps are loaded with veggies from the red peppers, the corn, and the pico de gallo on top. We’ve got healthy fats from the avocados in our homemade guacamole. Everything is freshly made with the exception of the sour cream and the salsa, but you can find salsas that are minimally processed in the grocery stores. We’ve also got a great source of protein from the shrimp. This meal is very light, so you can really load up on the shrimp and veggies to keep you full!

What kind of shrimp is best for this recipe?▼

My personal favourite is Argentinian Shrimp, which are incredibly sweet and large. These shrimps are usually caught from their natural ocean habitats, giving them a natural sweet taste from the sea.

Other Incredible and Easy Shrimp Recipes!

Creamy Spinach Pesto Pasta with Pan-Seared Shrimp

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!

Recipe by Anadi Misra